Playful Phonics Exploration

Slide 1: Introduction & Overview

Presenter: [Your Name]
Overview:
Welcome! Today I will present a dynamic 5-minute playful phonics activity designed for Year 1 pupils, incorporating hands-on playdough and phonics cards. This lesson adheres precisely to the National Curriculum for England’s English programme of study for Year 1, specifically focusing on phonics progression to support early reading and writing skills in a fun, engaging way. The activity promotes pupil interaction, fine motor skills, and phonemic awareness—all crucial in the first stages of literacy learning.

Slide 2: Learning Environment & Resources

• Learning Environment:
  A bright, welcoming classroom arranged with a small focus table to minimise distractions, allowing pupils to engage fully with tactile materials. Displays include phonics charts and Alphabet friezes aligned with Letters and Sounds guidance.

• Resources:

  • Coloured playdough pots for individual use (hygiene considerations in place)
  • Phonics cards selected from Phase 3 graphemes of Letters and Sounds (such as 'th', 'sh', 'ch')
  • Small trays to organise playdough and cards
  • Visual cues and pictorial aids supporting letter-sound correspondence

This setup invites multisensory learning, combining kinaesthetic and visual stimuli to better embed phonics knowledge.

Slide 3: Teacher’s Role in Playful Learning

• Act as facilitator and guide, modelling correct pronunciation and encouraging pupils to repeat sounds clearly.
• Scaffold learning by asking open-ended questions, e.g., “Can you make the ‘sh’ sound with your mouth?” or “What word can you think of that starts with this sound?”
• Monitor engagement and provide subtle prompts to support blending and segmenting skills during playdough letter formation.
• Celebrate successes to develop confidence and foster positive attitudes towards phonics and reading.
• Use observational assessment to identify pupils needing further phonics support or intervention.

Slide 4: Supporting Children with Additional Needs

• As a Medical/SEN Teaching Assistant, I provide targeted support for children with ASD, language disorder, and epilepsy by:
  • Preparing simplified and clear instructions with visual aids to reduce cognitive overload.
  • Using a calm voice and predictable routines to help the child feel secure and reduce anxiety.
  • Offering one-to-one assistance where needed for understanding phoneme-grapheme correspondence and manipulation using playdough.
  • Monitoring the child’s sensory sensitivities, providing sensory breaks, and adapting resources accordingly.
  • Liaising closely with teaching staff and parents to ensure consistent communication and personalised learning strategies.

Slide 5: Curriculum Integration & Outcomes

• National Curriculum Links:
  This activity directly supports the Year 1 English programme of study:

  • Phonics & Word Reading: Apply phonics knowledge to decode words (NC Standard: ‘Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs.’)
  • Spoken Language: Participate in discussions and express ideas clearly (NC Standard: ‘Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions.’)

• Learning Outcomes:

  • Pupils confidently recognise and verbalise phase 3 graphemes.
  • Pupils develop fine motor skills through playdough letter formation.
  • Pupils improve blending and segmenting skills in an enjoyable, tactile context.

• Differentiation:

  • Provide simpler phonics cards to children still mastering phase 2 sounds.
  • Use additional visual and verbal scaffolds for pupils with language delays or ASD.
  • Challenge advanced pupils with additional digraphs and simple word-building using playdough.

This playful phonics experience embodies multisensory learning, inclusivity, and purposeful engagement aligned with the National Curriculum framework to maximise early literacy development.

Thank you for your attention!